On-loan Inter striker Sebastiano Esposito has gotten off to a strong start on loan with Swiss side Basel, but the 19-year-old still has ambitions to make a name for himself with the Nerazzurri.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Esposito gave his thoughts on his parent club and expressed a desire to one day play for Inter.
Esposito spent last season on loan in Serie B with SPAL and then Venezia before he made the switch to Basel on loan for this season, and the move appears to have been a good step as he has been commended for his goalscoring form and overall level of play with the Swiss team.
He still follows the Nerazzurri closely, and believes that they can make a positive impression this season and continue the momentum of last season’s Scudetto win despite a difficult summer transfer window.
“Lukaku is a great champion, but on a quantitative level Inter have strengthened,” he said. “Dimarco was also a great signing. Last year Inter dominated by proving to have the strongest attack, this is a different year and it will be more difficult to show. But they are more complete, they can think of fighting also in the Champions League.”
He went on, “Without a doubt there is more depth, Inzaghi practically has two teams. Lautaro is very strong and it is no coincidence that he is also a starter for Argentina. On top of this, he still has enormous potential and can become even better.”
“I also really like Alexis,” Esposito said, “no one is like him in one-on-one sotiatopm. Let’s say that at Inter I had some decent role models to learn from. To these they added Dzeko and Correa, two who have much to add. Not to mention the chemistrybetween Lautaro and Tucu fuelled with playing together with the national team.”
Of his move to Basel he said, “I think things went in the best possible way and in everyone’s interest. The loan is a normal stage of my development path, because I need to play and grow.”
On the club keeping Martin Satriano in the squad instead of him he said, “Martin is a great guy and for him it’s better this way, I’m happy to be able to play continuously. When Basel came calling, I didn’t hesitate and decided along with the club.”
On his career goals Esposito stated, “My dream is to come back, it’s not a mystery, but there is an option and a counter-option. For the moment I am in Basel and if they want to keep me I will be happy. But it is well known that my dream is to play at San Siro in the Inter shirt. The last word, in any case, will be up to Inter.”
Regarding the place found by fellow academy graduate Federico Dimarco in the Nerazzurri’s starting eleven, Esposito said that “He started a few years before me, we followed a similar path even though he decided to go on loan at a very young age.”
“I am very happy for him,” he said of Dimarco, “seeing him celebrate after his goal filled me with joy because you could see that he has Nerazzurri blood in his veins. It would be nice to retrace his footsteps, to follow the same path. I hope he will stay for a long time because Inter needs guys like him.”
Reflecting on what went wrong on loan at SPAL and Venezia he said, “I don’t know, something for sure. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to give everything I had and I certainly have some faults, but I’m not the only one. I need to feel the confidence to give my best and here in Basel I found a coach who speaks clearly and does what he says.”
“But I don’t want to make controversy,” he said, “I’m looking forward and I’m in Basel also to show that I could give more. In any case, I carry in my memory the memory of promotion to Serie A achieved with Venezia. Let’s say that the first experiences away from the family are never easy, but you grow up and I am in Basel to go on.”
On whether he would have preferred to stay in Italy rather than move to the Swiss league Esposito stated, “I would not have minded, of course. But after almost three months I can say that Basel was the best choice, because here they are keeping their promises.”
“Whoever deserves to play does, I was told, and so it is,” the striker explained. “Besides all of which, Basel is a a choice that also allows me to grow as a man, to learn a new language, a new culture, all fundamental things for a boy of my age.”
